Towel-supply cabinet.



1.1. PARNELL.

TOWEL SUPPLY CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1917.

Patented Feb.' 5, 191

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

1.1. PARNELL.

TOWEL SUPPLY CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. I9'I7.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Snom/dio@ JOHN JOSEPH PARNELL, 0F MIAMI, FLORIDA.

'rownL-surrrrr caminar.

Specifleation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.. 5, 1918.

Application filed March 6, 191'?. Serial No. 152,653.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN' J. PARNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Miami, in the county of Dade and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Towel-Supply Cabinet, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a towel holder or towel supply cabinet..

One object of this invention is to provide a holder from which may be drawn a clean surface of toweling, and at the same time the used surface may be wound up and positioned out of the way.

Another object is to provide a holder wherein the withdrawal of the used portion of the towel is prevented by a person de-4 siring to use the same.

The invention broadly stated comprises a cabinet and supply roller, a takeup roller and a tension roller, and means to automatically prevent the' wrong movement of the towel, the movement of the clean towel surface being such that the takeup roller is operated to wind up the used portion, and at the same time the supply roller has its movement augmented by contact with the clean surface passing over another portion of this roller.

In practical form this invention may be described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the cabinet in which is mounted the towel holder;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line2-2 of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of oney of the end frames showing a portions of the rollers, and

Fig. 5 is a` diagrammatic view showing the passage of the towel around the several rollers and its engagement ywith the automatic stop device.

The'towel holder cabinet may be of any convenient size or shape, and of any suitable material, and preferably comprises a back wall 6 to which is secured a towel holder having the front 7 and top 8. The front 7 may be pivotally mounted as shown by the pivot 9 so as to permit the ready entrance into the holder for the replacement and withdrawal of the towel. This .cabinet includes end members l0 and 11. 1t'f'ertically groove and the bearing formed in these end members are suitable slots 12 and 13, in which ride the journal or bearing ends ofthe several rollers. These slots extend downwardly a sufiicient distance so that the supply roller will rest perfectly at the lower end of each of the slots.

As shown in Fig. 2, the tension roller 14e is at the top and next just below it the 'takeup roller 15, and just below that the supply roller 16. The free end of the towel is unwound fromy the supply roller 16, and is then led upward to the tension roller 14 around which it passes, then around the takeup roller 15, then downward and against the supply roller 16 and forms below the holder a depending loop 17. The upper portion of the loop is passed over a stop member 18, which is positioned near the upper end of the holder. This stop member is pivoted as indicated at 19, and its tree end is so shaped that it will contact and engage with the towel and the back wall of the cabinet. The towel is led over the free end of this stop member, so that a downward pull, in directly the same line as the back, will tend to pull the free end or point of this stop member 18 against the back wall and thereby prevent any'unwinding or backward movement of the towel from the takeup roller 15. After passing over the stop member 18, the end is passed between the tension roller 14: and the clean towelv onto the takeup roller 1 5, to which it may be secured in any convenient manner.

, The upper portion of the cabinet may be formed in any usual or customary way, and there is shown a cabinet having a pivoted door 20. This will form a convenient receptacle for medicines or toilet articles. This door may also be provided with a mirror, which is customary in such arrangements or devices.

In practical operation a supply roller being inserted into`the holder will rest at the lower end of the slots 12 and 13, and is threaded around the several rollers as have been described. The downward pull of the clean or unused portion ofthe towel causes the supply roller 16 to be rotated and a fresh supply passes upward around the tension roller 14, thence around the takeup roller 15, and further communicates 4motion to the supply roller 16. Thus it will be seen'that the action of the fresh towel in passing around the several` rollers and more espe-= cially that of thetakeup roller, that a frictional contact is established which embraces practically one-half of the takeup roller surface. The tension put upon the takeup roller is very considerable owing to the fact that the tension roller 14 is pulled downward against the takeup roller surface and forces into contact the clean towel, which in passing downward andaround the supply roller 16 tends to move the takeup roller in a direction at right angles to the line of the pull. The stop member 18 is automatic in its operation, and is so positioned that the towel may be freely wound upon the takeup roller, but upon the downward pull it eectually checks any further movement by reason of its free end engaging with the towel and forcing it against the b ack wall 6 of the cabinet.

Minor changes in form, proportion and details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A towel holder comprising supports, a

the towel in one direction will draw the` rollers into frictional contact to deliver toweling from the supply roller and to the take up roller.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy own, I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN JOSEPH PARNELL.

Witnesses:

O. E. MoNmL, WM. F. HAWLEY. 

